JP2003131077A - Ferrule for optical connector and structure for connecting optical connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To save the time and labor for assembling an optical connector and realize high density package of optical fiber even with a small-sized connection converting part. SOLUTION: In a ferrule for the optical connector, arranges a fiber inserting hole in (m) row and (n) column are arranged, a guide groove is formed in front of each fiber hole, and the starting positions of the guide grooves adjoining the column direction of the fiber inserting hole are mutually the same but, in each step, the starting positions of the guide grooves adjoining the row direction of the fiber inserting hole are mutually different. In the structure for connecting the optical connector, (n) pieces of (m) core coated optical fibers are inserted to a ferrule and fixed, and (m) pieces of (n) core coated optical fibers are inserted fixed to another ferrule, and the two ferrules are butted and connected.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical connector ferrule which constitutes an optical connector, and an optical connector connecting structure using an optical connector constituted by the optical connector ferrule.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art It is common practice to connect various optical devices via a multi-core optical fiber. In such connection, it may be necessary to perform connection conversion from a multi-core optical fiber core having a certain number of cores to a multi-core optical fiber core having a different number of cores. In such a case, a plurality of optical fiber core wires are wired on the optical wiring board so that the predetermined optical fiber core wires are connected to other predetermined optical fiber core wires, and the connection conversion is realized.

[0003]

When the optical fiber core wire is wired on the optical wiring board, there is an advantage that the optical fiber core wire can be freely arranged to some extent. However, in order to wire the optical fiber core wire without deteriorating the characteristics, the bending radius of the optical fiber core wire must be 30 mm or more. Therefore,
Under such restrictions, the optical wiring board must be upsized in order to wire the optical fiber core.

[0004]

As a result of intensive studies to solve the above problems, the inventors of the present invention have found that a connection structure using an optical connector instead of the above optical wiring board and an optical structure that can realize the structure. Invented a connector ferrule.

One of the ferrules for an optical connector of the present invention has a plurality of fiber insertion holes of m rows × n stages (m and n are 2).
In the ferrules for optical connectors arranged in a matrix of the above natural numbers), guide grooves are formed in front of each fiber hole, and the starting end positions of the guide grooves adjacent in the step direction of the fiber insertion hole are the same. However, the starting end positions of the guide grooves adjacent to each other in the row direction of the fiber insertion holes are different stepwise.

Another one of ferrules for optical connectors of the present invention
The first is that the starting end positions differ stepwise from the guide groove in the center of the fiber insertion hole in the row direction toward the guide grooves on both outer sides in the same direction.

Another one of ferrules for optical connectors of the present invention
One has a shape in which both sides of the straight line passing through the center of the fiber insertion hole in the column direction are symmetrical or substantially symmetrical.

In the optical connector connecting structure of the present invention, n pieces of m-core tape-shaped optical fiber core wires are inserted and fixed in the ferrule for optical connector of the present invention, and m pieces of n-core tape are inserted in another ferrule for optical connector. Optical fiber cores are inserted and fixed, the ferrules for both optical connectors are butted, and the tape-shaped optical fiber cores that are inserted and fixed in the respective optical connector ferrules are optically connected.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION (Embodiment 1) A ferrule for an optical connector of the present invention is a plastic molding capable of inserting and fixing an optical fiber (a single optical fiber or an individual optical fiber forming a multi-core fiber core wire). It is a body, and an optical connector can be configured by inserting and fixing an optical fiber. The optical connector connection structure of the present invention is capable of connection conversion by butt-connecting an optical connector using the ferrule for an optical connector of the present invention and an optical connector using another optical connector ferrule. .
Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of an optical connector ferrule and an optical connector connection structure of the present invention will be described in detail.

As shown in FIG. 1, the ferrule 1 for an optical connector of the present invention has two guide pin insertion holes 15 extending from one end face 2 (joint end face 2) to the inside, and these guide pin insertion holes 15. A plurality of fiber insertion holes 3 are formed between them. Specifically, 32 fiber insertion holes 3
Are arranged in a matrix of 8 rows × 4 stages. An optical fiber (not shown) inserted through an insertion port (not shown) formed on the end face opposite to the joint end face 2 is inserted into these fiber insertion holes 3 and fixed by an adhesive or the like. It The inner diameter of each fiber insertion hole 3 is made substantially the same as the outer diameter of the optical fiber so that the inserted optical fiber is not displaced in the direction intersecting the axial direction. Further, all the fiber insertion holes 3 are arranged in parallel with each other. Reference numeral 14 in the drawing denotes an adhesive injection port into which an adhesive for fixing the optical fiber 4 to the optical connector ferrule is injected, which is provided on one surface.

As shown in FIG. 2A, a guide groove 5 for guiding the optical fiber 4 inserted from the insertion port to the fiber insertion hole 3 is provided in front of each fiber insertion hole 3. Are formed. Specifically, in front of the fiber insertion holes 3 of each row (insertion side), the same number of guide grooves 5 as the fiber insertion holes 3 forming the row are laminated to form a set of guide groove groups 5A. I am doing it. That is, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, a guide groove group 5A is formed by vertically stacking the guide grooves 5 in four stages.
Are arranged side by side in eight columns. Further, as shown in FIG. 2A, the guide grooves 5 forming each of the guide groove groups 5A have the same starting end position (aligned),
The guide grooves 5 composing the adjacent guide groove groups 5A are
The starting position is changed stepwise. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2 (b), the guide grooves 5 </ b> A arranged in the center of the fiber insertion hole 3 in the row direction are guided toward the guide groove groups 5 </ b> A arranged on both outer sides in the same direction. The starting position of the groove 5 is stepwise changed.

Further, the ferrule for an optical connector of the present invention
1 has a symmetrical shape on both sides of a straight line (dotted line AA shown in FIG. 2b) passing through the center of the fiber insertion hole 3 in the column direction. This effectively suppresses deformation due to shrinkage during molding, resulting in a highly accurate ferrule. Further, even if the adhesive agent supplied to fix the optical fiber contracts, the accompanying deformation is prevented. Further, deformation due to temperature change is also prevented. Therefore, if an optical connector is constructed using the ferrule 1 for an optical connector of the present invention, an extremely high performance optical connector is obtained.

The ferrule 1 for an optical connector of the present invention has at least the above configuration. Therefore, FIG.
As shown in (a), a four-core tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 1
A guide groove for inserting each optical fiber 4 of the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 10 inserted into the ferrule 1 from the insertion port with 0 oriented vertically to the fiber insertion holes 3 of an arbitrary row. It can be inserted into the fiber insertion hole 3 according to the guide of 5. Therefore, as shown in FIG.
Up to eight 4-core tape-shaped optical fibers 10a to 10
It is possible to assemble an optical connector in which h is vertically inserted and fixed. As shown in the figure, when inserting the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 10 into the insertion port 12, the insertion port 12
It is desirable to insert the rubber boot 13 into the rubber boot 13 and the tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 10 inside the rubber boot 13.

As shown in FIG. 4, the optical connector shown in FIG. 3 and the four ferrules 30 for the existing ferrule 30 for an optical connector are provided.
An optical connector in which core tape-shaped optical fibers 20a to 20d are laterally inserted and fixed is prepared, a guide pin is provided in one optical connector, and the guide pin is inserted in the guide pin insertion hole 15 of the other optical connector. When the optical connectors are inserted and butt-connected to each other, connection conversion is realized. Specifically, among the optical fibers 4 constituting the four-core tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 10a, one predetermined optical fiber 4 is a predetermined optical fiber of the eight-core tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 20a, and the other. The predetermined optical fiber 4 is an eight-core tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 2.
0b, the other predetermined optical fiber 4 is an eight-core tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 20c, and the other predetermined optical fiber 4 is an eight-core tape-shaped optical fiber core wire 20d. Each of them is optically connected to a predetermined optical fiber. The same applies to the four-core tape-shaped optical fiber core wires 10b to 10h.
Is also performed and connection conversion is realized.

(Embodiment 2) As shown in FIG. 5, the starting end position of the guide groove can be made different in a stepwise direction opposite to the case shown in FIG. 2 (b). The action and effect can be obtained.

As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the fiber insertion holes may be formed in odd rows. In this case, it goes without saying that the number of rows of the guide groove group is also changed according to the number of rows of the fiber insertion holes. When the fiber insertion holes and the guide groove groups are formed in an odd number of rows, both sides thereof are substantially symmetrical with respect to a straight line AA passing through the center of the fiber insertion holes in the row direction, but they are not completely symmetrical. However, sufficient symmetry is realized in order to obtain the effect of preventing various deformations (details have already been described in the step 0012).

[0017]

(1) According to the ferrule for an optical connector of the present invention, it is possible to easily assemble an optical connector capable of realizing connection conversion of an optical fiber. (2) According to the optical connector connection structure of the present invention, the optical fiber connection conversion component can be downsized, and higher density mounting can be realized.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of an embodiment of an optical connector ferrule of the present invention.

2A is an explanatory view showing the internal structure of the ferrule for an optical connector shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is a plan view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an optical connector assembled by inserting and fixing an optical fiber in the ferrule for optical connector shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an embodiment of an optical connector connection structure of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing another embodiment of the ferrule for an optical connector of the present invention.

6A and 6B are plan views showing another different embodiment of the ferrule for an optical connector of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Ferrule for optical connector of the present invention 2 Joined end face 3 Fiber insertion hole 4 optical fiber 5 guide groove 10 4 optical fiber ribbons 12 outlet 13 rubber boots 20 8-fiber optical fiber ribbon

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] October 30, 2001 (2001.10.
30)

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[Document name to be corrected] Drawing

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[Document name to be corrected] Drawing

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[Figure 3]

[Procedure 3]

[Document name to be corrected] Drawing

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[Figure 4]

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A ferrule for an optical connector in which a plurality of fiber insertion holes are arranged in a matrix of m rows × n stages (m and n are natural numbers of 2 or more), and a guide groove is provided in front of each fiber hole. And the starting end positions of the guide grooves adjacent to each other in the step direction of the fiber insertion hole are the same, but the starting end positions of the guide grooves adjacent to each other in the column direction of the fiber insertion hole are stepwise different. For ferrule. 2. The ferrule for an optical connector according to claim 1, wherein the starting end positions are stepwise different from the guide groove in the center of the fiber insertion hole in the row direction toward the guide grooves on both outer sides in the same direction. 3. The ferrule for an optical connector according to claim 1, wherein both sides of the straight line passing through the center of the fiber insertion hole in the column direction are symmetrical or substantially symmetrical. 4. An optical connector ferrule according to claim 1, wherein n pieces of m-core tape-shaped optical fiber core wires are inserted and fixed, and another optical connector ferrule has m pieces. The n-core tape-shaped optical fiber core wires are inserted and fixed, the ferrules for both optical connectors are butted, and the tape-shaped optical fiber core wires inserted and fixed to the respective ferrules for optical connectors are optically connected. Optical connector connection structure.